Liquor seizure: Working of excise officials at Paonta Sahib under lens

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, October 19

The working of officials of the State Taxes and Excise Department (STED) at Paonta Sahib has come under the scanner as the state has suffered a revenue loss of over Rs 17 lakh following the seizure of 900 boxes of country liquor by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau in Una.

The bureau has booked Assistant State Taxes and Excise Officer (ASTEO) Jai Singh, company official Ajay Grover and the truck driver, who was nabbed with the illegal liquor, for cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, said DSP Anil Mehta.

The driver had reportedly stated that Jai Singh and Ajay Grover had given him permit and directed him to transport the liquor. The permit was, however, found forged.

Four other persons were enlisted as directors while Ajay Grover’s name did not figure on the list of directors/promotors. Under what capacity he was working in the unit is being inquired into.

As per norms, the liquor permit has to be issued online on the state excise module from Una and, therefore, the in-charge official at Nariwala in Paonta Sahib is required to issue online transport pass for the transportation of liquor.

The case has also put a question mark on the working of the flying squad of the STED at Baddi and Una as the truck carrying the illegal liquor had failed to be detected by them.

Bureau officials are now trying to inquire into the involvement of other officials, who had overlooked the laxity. The ASTEO is yet to join investigation.

The DSP said, “The record pertaining to the ownership of the beverage unit as well as other parameters like amount of liquor manufactured and sold etc for the last several months has been sought and this will enable us to establish the ownership and other aspects of the case.”

The vigilance bureau is tracing the official.

Forged permit issued

• The truck driver reportedly stated that Jai Singh and Ajay Grover had given him permit and directed him to transport the liquor. The permit was, however, found forged.
• Four persons were enlisted as directors while Grover’s name did not figure on the list of directors/promotors